Guest k3mom Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 My family MIGHT be taking our very first ever trip to Walt Disney World this spring or early summer. We won't even know if we're going unil the middle of April. I have looked over the boards for information, but I'm feeling a little lost. I suspect this will be a one-time trip for us, so I want to make the most of it, but I don't even know where to start planning. Any advice? I know there are books available, but which ones are the most useful? Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 THe Birnbaum Guide to Walt Disney World is what I use to plan our trips there. Our library has older copies which if your library has one, would be fine to use. If you want a current copy any large bookstore should have it. It has tons of info in it. I also have the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, it is much bigger and has even more info. We go to Disney every Christmas but had to cancel this year due to Hurricane Sandy so we are kind of sad around here. Have you visited the website disboards, it is a little tricky but does have tons of info and forums to ask questions. You can also ask questions here as lots fo us are Disney World fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm379 Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 www.disboards.com. Tons of good info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 I also have the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, it is much bigger and has even more info. We go to Disney every Christmas but had to cancel this year due to Hurricane Sandy so we are kind of sad around here. This is where I would start. I buy a new edition every time we go. The associated website is also great, but for a first visit, start with the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k3mom Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Thanks! So it would be okay to use an older edition of the guidebooks? My library has an ebook of the Unofficial Guide to Disney, but I think it's from 2007. I didn't know how useful that would be. I would like to keep this as a secret from the kids (so it can be a surprise of we do go, and so they won't be disappointed if it falls through). If they see me reading a book, the cat is pretty much out of the bag. (Or should I say Mouse? LOL). I think I can hide an ebook. I can definitely hit the Disboards. Thanks again! I'm sorry you can't make it this year Jeannie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamatohaleybug Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Disboards has been the most helpful to me. Tons of great information. I also love Allears. Reading through those and some books borrowed from the library helped me prepare for my first trip (I was sure it would be our only trip). We leave in 5 weeks for our third visit in less than 3 years. We have fallen in love with WDW! Have fun planning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 easywdw is the absolute best site, and oh so enjoyable to read because Josh is both knowledgeable and hysterical. It can be a bit overwhelming, but once you spend a bit of time there, it'll all make sense. For books, I like the Unofficial Guide the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Yep, disboards, easy wdw, mouse chat, mousesavers, the Disney website, touringplans.com, so many others. Planning is your friend. And there is no such thing as planning too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 The Disboards are AWESOME for info, but it's a bit like stumbling on the WTM. There is so much there that it can be confusing! My advice - make your budget first. Price the tickets, then figure out how much you want to spend on a hotel, food, and "extras" (there's an experience for everyone...for a price). When you browse around the Disboards keep those price points in mind. I'd also say make an account on the wdw site and price your vacation there. When you make an account you are in line to get things like PINs - personal discount codes sent to your inbox. Oh, and check this out - http://yourfirstvisit.net/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Something you might consider doing in advance is planning a few fun dining experiences for the family. Many of the better places get booked up well in advance, but you can call and reserve them many months ahead of time (6 months maybe?). Then if you end up not going you can just call and cancel. I know while you're AT the parks it can be kind of hard to decide where/when to eat, and then often the restaurant you pick is too full anyway. If you do a little research and pick out a couple places, then you can sort of arrange your schedule around those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Something you might consider doing in advance is planning a few fun dining experiences for the family. Many of the better places get booked up well in advance, but you can call and reserve them many months ahead of time (6 months maybe?). Then if you end up not going you can just call and cancel. I know while you're AT the parks it can be kind of hard to decide where/when to eat, and then often the restaurant you pick is too full anyway. If you do a little research and pick out a couple places, then you can sort of arrange your schedule around those. Disney is starting to put a stop to this practice. When you make a reservation now, you are agreeing to a cancellation fee if done within 24 hours of the meal time. And quite frankly, I find it rude to double or triple book and take spots away from other people who did want to eat there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Disney is starting to put a stop to this practice. When you make a reservation now, you are agreeing to a cancellation fee if done within 24 hours of the meal time. And quite frankly, I find it rude to double or triple book and take spots away from other people who did want to eat there. Nothing in her original post suggested or encouraged double or triple bookings. And, if you don't know if your going to Disney less than 24 hours before you've made a reservation to be there, well... tough luck?? Disney encourages reservations, but yes, their system does reject double and triple bookings. Yes, there is a cancellation fee, and probably other fees too. Be smart about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Has Disney changed their ADR policies? We had many ADRs when we went recently. Only character meals, signature restaurants and dinner shows had cancellation fees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 This thread contains tips from WTMers: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/415540-disney-planning-addicts-unite-post-your-favorite-wdw-vacation-tips-here/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Has Disney changed their ADR policies? We had many ADRs when we went recently. Only character meals, signature restaurants and dinner shows had cancellation fees. http://blogs.orlando...g-reservations/ It's a policy change after October 26th. $10 per person will be charged. ETA: When we went we checked the park days to see which had the least number of people first, and then made our reservations and plans around that. I also kept a list in my little notebook of each quick service restaurant in the parks that served something other than the Greasy Trifecta - chicken nuggets, burgers, pizza - for kids. The Magic Kingdom was pretty much a wash, but the rest of the parks had a good variety of cultural and fresh foods that were more acceptable for our 10yo to eat every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 First you start by jumping up and down and doing a happy dance. :party: And then you freak out because planning a trip to Disney is a daunting task. :willy_nilly: Just kidding (sort of). 2011 is the first year since 2004 that we haven't done a Disney vacation, so planning them is something I'm familiar with. I still find it stressful when it comes to booking restaurants, but I loves to go to Disney. The first thing you should do is figure out how much you're willing to spend and go to disney.com and click on "Parks and travel," then "Price Your Vacation." You can pick your catagory of hotel, and when you think you might be going, to help give you an idea of approximately how much it could cost. If it's too much, try lowering your hotel catagory. Of course you don't have to stay on property, but we won't stay off site for many reasons. I also never get park hopping tickets (which are more expensive) because we've found it wastes too much time getting from park to park that we could spend having fun. If we make a dinner reservation in a certain park, we go to that park for the day. The exception being Hollywood Studios because I'm not a fan of their restuarants. Instead, we eat at the Cape May Cafe inside the Yacht and Beach Club (hotel), which is accessable by ferry from MGM. You need to figure out how many days you'll be staying, if you're staying on or off property (again, we prefer on), what's important for you to see, and if there are any places you really want to eat. While we like Animal Kingdom, it's not our favorite park, so we wouldn't go there more than one day. Magic Kingdom is of course our favorite, so we schedule more than one day there. If you stay on property, you can also get the meal plan, which is something we always do. It makes things so much easier IMO and sometimes they offer it free. You can check the disboards and someone always knows when free dining takes place. We've never gotten it, but I know several who have. IIRC, there is an option to pay for an upgrade to a better meal plan, which I would totally do. The free dining is usually just counter services but we get the one where you have actual sit down dinners. It really can be overwhelming, so start making notes of things you come across that you're interested in so you can figure out how to work it in to your plan. And as soon as you know when you're going, start making meal reservations for any sit downs. Some of them are hard to get. We went for 10 days a while back and it took me over an hour on the phone with a dining planner to get it all sorted out because some days the restaurants I wanted weren't available, so I had to rearrange everything, which was a PITA. I hope you get to go! Even though we go a lot, each time feels like the first and we're always so excited. It's just, well, magical. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 My family MIGHT be taking our very first ever trip to Walt Disney World this spring or early summer. We won't even know if we're going unil the middle of April. I have looked over the boards for information, but I'm feeling a little lost. I suspect this will be a one-time trip for us, so I want to make the most of it, but I don't even know where to start planning. Any advice? I know there are books available, but which ones are the most useful? Thanks for your help! I agree with starting with the Unofficial Guide to Disney with Kids. They spell everything out for you from the start of planning down to the last-minute details. And, of course, after you have some of the details worked out, come here and ask us! Many of us here LOVE to help plan Disney vacations! First you start by jumping up and down and doing a happy dance. :party: And then you freak out because planning a trip to Disney is a daunting task. :willy_nilly: Just kidding (sort of). 2011 is the first year since 2004 that we haven't done a Disney vacation, so planning them is something I'm familiar with. I still find it stressful when it comes to booking restaurants, but I loves to go to Disney. The first thing you should do is figure out how much you're willing to spend and go to disney.com and click on "Parks and travel," then "Price Your Vacation." You can pick your catagory of hotel, and when you think you might be going, to help give you an idea of approximately how much it could cost. If it's too much, try lowering your hotel catagory. Of course you don't have to stay on property, but we won't stay off site for many reasons. I also never get park hopping tickets (which are more expensive) because we've found it wastes too much time getting from park to park that we could spend having fun. If we make a dinner reservation in a certain park, we go to that park for the day. The exception being Hollywood Studios because I'm not a fan of their restuarants. Instead, we eat at the Cape May Cafe inside the Yacht and Beach Club (hotel), which is accessable by ferry from MGM. You need to figure out how many days you'll be staying, if you're staying on or off property (again, we prefer on), what's important for you to see, and if there are any places you really want to eat. While we like Animal Kingdom, it's not our favorite park, so we wouldn't go there more than one day. Magic Kingdom is of course our favorite, so we schedule more than one day there. If you stay on property, you can also get the meal plan, which is something we always do. It makes things so much easier IMO and sometimes they offer it free. You can check the disboards and someone always knows when free dining takes place. We've never gotten it, but I know several who have. IIRC, there is an option to pay for an upgrade to a better meal plan, which I would totally do. The free dining is usually just counter services but we get the one where you have actual sit down dinners. It really can be overwhelming, so start making notes of things you come across that you're interested in so you can figure out how to work it in to your plan. And as soon as you know when you're going, start making meal reservations for any sit downs. Some of them are hard to get. We went for 10 days a while back and it took me over an hour on the phone with a dining planner to get it all sorted out because some days the restaurants I wanted weren't available, so I had to rearrange everything, which was a PITA. I hope you get to go! Even though we go a lot, each time feels like the first and we're always so excited. It's just, well, magical. :D I agree with everything here!!!! We've stayed both off-site and on-site. We definitely prefer on-site! But, if the difference is you going or not, you can have a perfectly good time off site. I agree with her about dinners too. If you choose a meal plan or just want to eat out the entire time, plan your park days around your reservations. If you want to eat at a cuople of the resorts, some are easily accessible from the parks. (For example, our family absolutely LOVES O'Hana's. We eat there on our Magic Kingdom day because you can get there easily from the park on the monorail.) Those are the details we can help you sort out. Enjoy your planning!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 The books and the disboards were helpful, but very overwhelming for me when planning my first disney vacation with kids. I got a lot of great advice from Josh at easywdw.com. His blog is funny yet informative. It's also easy to navigate and well- organized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadianmumof5 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 The DISboards are great but highly addictive - sorta like here :) We are in the midst of planning our stay as well - but I didn't get many responses to my post here a while back (what's up with that??) We re staying onsite for the 1st time ever so I am totally excited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k3mom Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Thank you everyone for your help! I'm feeling a bit more confident now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 The DISboards are great but highly addictive - sorta like here :) We are in the midst of planning our stay as well - but I didn't get many responses to my post here a while back (what's up with that??) We re staying onsite for the 1st time ever so I am totally excited. My guess is that everyone was adjusting to all of the changes around here. Bump your thread and we'll give it another go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 http://blogs.orlando...g-reservations/ It's a policy change after October 26th. $10 per person will be charged. That was a policy change for October 26, 2011 (referencing the date on the blog)...not this year. So, while some restaurants do have a cancellation fee, many do not. We were there later than Oct. 26th, 2012, and there were no significant changes. When you make your ADRs online, it is clear which ones have a fee because they ask you for a reservation number or credit card number to secure the reservation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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